


my beginning and my end

by Hevheia



Series: The Old Guard Duolingo Prompts [16]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, But a bittersweet kind of angst you know?, Dementia, Growing Old, Loss of Immortality, M/M, anyway Joe and Nicky are and will always be together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29516631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hevheia/pseuds/Hevheia
Summary: After losing their immortality and growing old together, Yusuf and Nicolò decide that it has been enough.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: The Old Guard Duolingo Prompts [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952467
Comments: 12
Kudos: 51





	my beginning and my end

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: you are my beginning and my end (είσαι η αρχή και το τέλος μου)

Of the two of them, Nicolò always had the sharpest mind, his memory precise as his sniper gun. He could always tell Yusuf the exact color of that girl’s hair they met a century before, or the name of that vendor, or the precise angle of Yusuf’s smile that day in Malta beneath the Aleppo pines. When their four thousand years had finally caught up to them, however, it was Nicolò’s memory that withered instead of Yusuf’s. 

Yusuf tried his best to be Nicolò’s memory as well, but he had always been forgetful. One day, you will forget your head, his Nicolò always joked. Still, even despite the steady declining of his own aging mind, Yusuf tries to remember for the both of them.

It is strange to finally feel old age after more than four thousand years of unfading youth, though growing old hasn’t been entirely unpleasant to Yusuf. 

There had been panic first, when a burn from a stupid kitchen accident wouldn’t heal immediately - he still bears the scar from not tending to it soon enough. Nicolò hadn’t even hesitated to test his own immortality as soon as he discovered Yusuf’s was gone. They both cried in relief when Nicolò didn’t heal either.

They withdrew from the world, buying a modest house in a tiny, remote village. Yusuf soon lost count of the wrinkles on Nicolò’s face, but he never failed to notice when a new one appeared, welcoming it with a kiss. He caressed every one of his grey hairs, cherished the age spots blooming on his skin, lay his head to rest on the growing mound of his soft belly. Yusuf relished all of it, as futile and undesirable as it might have seemed to any other person. For him, every change in Nicolò’s aging body felt like a gift, like a miracle. 

He was growing old with the love of his life, despite the hundreds upon hundreds of years of living in fear he might be snatched away from him with any bullet.

Whenever one of them gets sick, Yusuf’s heart remembers his old fear, racing in panic. But Nicolò always reminds him of their promise. Together.

And they get better and they continue to grow old and Yusuf enjoys every second of it. 

Except when Nicolò starts forgetting. Small things at first, a little unusual for him but nothing to worry about. Until it takes him ten minutes and many stories and drawings of Yusuf for him to remember Nile’s name.

It gets worse from there. They manage with notes and songs and four thousand years of memories to fall back upon, but the confused moments soon outweigh the lucid ones. Sometimes, Nicolò even forgets his mortality, but fortunately Yusuf is always there in time. 

The only thing Nicolò never forgets, is his Yusuf. And they are both grateful for that mercy, at least.

Though maybe even this is a matter of time.

That’s why, in one of his clear moments, when his cataract eyes are peering through his glasses with a brilliant and ocean-clear look, Nicolò asks Yusuf for something. Despite the pain it inflicts upon Yusuf - like a thousand arrows piercing his chest at once - he understands. He reminds Nicolò of their promise and Nicolò squeezes his hand and kisses him. 

His kiss still thrills me.

Nile brought them what they need, still looking as young and beautiful as when they first met her in that safehouse in France all those centuries ago. Her eyes have changed, though, bearing witness of all she has seen by now. She hugs them tightly, kissing their foreheads. She thanks them, for everything. She will wait outside.

As Yusuf lies down next to Nicolò on their bed - the one he painted with scenes of their lives together - all his joints ache and he chuckles. He won’t miss that so much. 

He lies down on his side, facing Nicolò. Nicolò gently takes Yusuf’s hands in his and Yusuf entangles their legs. They gaze at each other for a while, still finding new reasons to admire each other’s faces after a short eternity of doing little else.

Yusuf softly touches the mole on Nicolò’s cheek, the cupid bow of his lips, traces the line of his jaw and the cut of his cheekbone. He knows every corner, every line, every way his muscles move. He has studied them, drawn them, painted them over and over like fever dreams. In all his life, he has never found anything that could quite compare.

He knows Nicolò is fighting to keep his eyes open, just like he is too. He brushes Nicolò’s eyelids with his fingertip, whispering it’s okay.

He knows Nicolò hasn’t yet fully drifted away yet. He touches their foreheads together, bringing Nicolò’s hands to his lips.

“You were right,” he says. He sees the corner of Nicolò’s mouth twitch minutely in one of his infinitesimal smiles. Yusuf is an expert in anything and everything concerning Nicolò, including his wide arrange of minute twitches and infinitesimal smiles. Nicolò knows what he means. 

Destiny brought us together. Destiny will take us together, too.

“You were right,” Yusuf repeats, whispering. “You are my beginning and my end, Nicolò.”

Nicolò squeezes his hand weakly, pressing his lips to Yusuf’s knuckles. Yusuf can feel the heaviness drag at him too now. His eyes fall closed. 

“And you are mine,” is the last thing he hears.


End file.
